Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic . . . forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

From the imaginative mind of debut author Charlie N. Holmberg, The Paper Magician is an extraordinary adventure both dark and whimsical that will delight readers of all ages.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

*I'm so sorry I haven't been posting much lately! AP exams are coming up (as well as finals eep!), so I've been really busy with those. I'll do my best to try to post at least twice a week, but from now until the end of the May, I might not be able to even do that :(. But come summer, I promise I'll be posting like mad! :)*

What I'm waiting on this week:

Synopsis:

There are three rules in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. Right now, my life depends completely on the first. Run, run, run.

Jin, Mei Yee, and Dai all live in the Walled City, a lawless labyrinth run by crime lords and overrun by street gangs. Teens there run drugs or work in brothels—or, like Jin, hide under the radar. But when Dai offers Jin a chance to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, she begins a breathtaking race against the clock to escape the Walled City itself.

This book is released on November 4th, 2014.

Sounds pretty awesome! And that cover looks soo cool! I thought it was a mountain capped with snow, but it's actually a girl looking down. Pretty neat eh?

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

It was emotionally jarring (I was sobbing by the end and almost couldn't enjoy Percabeth's kiss!), and the twist was so unexpected. I loved how Luke was so human. Usually villains are very cardboard. They are told to us as evil, and that's how they act: evil. But Luke was different. Even before his ultimate sacrifice, he was constantly going back and forth between evil and good. He wasn't purely evil or purely good, and I loved how that complexity gave depth to his character.

The scene itself was so good! Because he had constantly been conflicted about the whole affair, until he made the choice to be the hero, I honestly thought he was going to be the first person in the history of the world to go against the prophecy of the fates (and that NEVER happens). But in the end, he did the right thing (and tore my heart right out, but ya know, saving the world is more important than my bleeding heart D:) . What really got me was that it was ultimately Annabeth's promise that brought him back. The love he had for her (brotherly- I think) was enough for him to pick a sure side and stick with it- even if it meant his own death. You can't get more heroic than that.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Tell us about a book that you didn’t like and why we shouldn’t read it (as nicely and respectfully as possible).

My choice is Requiem.
This series (among other things) had the same problem both the Hunger Games (Mockingjay) and the Divergent trilogy (Allegiant) had (at least in my view ^-^): not enough "stuff" (action, plot, etc) for a third novel. It was stretched waaay too thin. Not to mention the similar points of views (shout out to Allegiant) and a bad love triangle (shout out to Mockingjay).

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Books you’ve read that have changed you mentally

Ooo this is an interesting one! Here's my list:

1. Bible: Every time I read it, I learn something new, and I walk away with more than what I had when I came to read it. It gives me hope and guidance, and every time I read it, I'm always going, "Why didn't I come here first?"

2. Kissing Doorknobs: This book really was an eye-opener to me for mental conditions, especially OCD. Instead of mindlessly spouting, "I'm OCD like that," it taught me to be more careful with my words and take those things seriously.

3. If He Had Been with Me: Unexpectedly profound. The author has a uncanny knack for relating with her readers on a deep level. The way she expresses feelings and emotions into words is absolutely brilliant.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Hi guys! Kyendwarrior here:)
This challenge is hosted by the fabulous Rachel over at Parajunkee.com

:)

Today's challenge:

What characters do you secretly loath, but don’t like admitting because they are so popular?

1. Gale and Peeta: They were so... bland. (LOL mild way of putting my feelings for them. xD)

2. Lissa Dragomir and Dimitri Belikov: It's been a while since I've read the first (and only) book, but if memory serves me right, I remember thinking how extremely annoying Lissa was and how illogical/frustrating they both were. (I had issues with the book itself too, but I won't go there today. :))

3. Piper McLean: So I'm a huge fan of Percy Jackson, but not even Hera could make me feel the slightest fondness for her. Once you insult Percy by comparing him to Jason Grace (Jason's not even on the same universe as Percy- why is Jason even the leader anyways?!), there's no going back on my list. I say we toss her off of the Argos. Who needs her charmspeak when we have Percy's sarcasm and glueness xD?

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Late April Fools. What was the best prank you’ve played or had played on you? Share!

I was the victim. xD It was the classic jump out and scare the heebie jeebies out of someone. But it sort of backfired on my brother (the pranker). xD

I get scared super easily. I can't watch horror movies or read any books that are remotely creepy or for the next few months I'll take 3 minute showers (get in, get soaped, get out. Pfft so what if there are a few dried bubbles in my hair? It's better than being murdered by strange beings that like to haunt bathrooms 0.0 ). So anyways~ that night, for some reason, I was thinking about this scary book I read back in like 4th grade (I kid you not; it was one of those scary stories to read in the dark or something like that. Years later, I still remember them. *shudders*) , and I was the only one up- or so I thought. I turned the corner, and there was my brother in this white clay mask (some creepy anime character), and I screamed. Well, apparently my brother had either not expected me or had not expected me to scream that loud, and he screamed too. I screamed right back, and he screamed again. It was like a ping pong match of screams. We woke up the entire household, and needless to say, my parents weren't impressed with one blubbering girl who thought she was going to die of fright and one screaming boy whose voice was able to reach record- setting heights. xD

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend…if she can survive.

The book sounds awesome! But the cover... It's majestic and clean, but I wish it looked a bit more epic and eye-catching. >.<

Can't wait for it to come out!(July 8th 2014) What are you waiting on this week?:)